Press "Enter" to skip to content

Interview with X-Wing Pilot Greg Grunberg – MojoConnects


[Music]
hey mojo colics I’m Rebecca Bradenton
with me as always is Dan parity and
welcome to mojo connects with us today
we have a man that you may know from
Star Trek beyond you may know him from
big ass spider you may know him from
alias or lost or masters of sex or from
his band banned from TV or from his
podcast and actor comedian and musician
walk into a bar or of course you might
know him as snap Wexley from the Star
Wars franchise of course I’m talking
about Greg Grunberg welcome Greg thanks
for joining us thank you very much
heroes I think is the heroes most people
know me right but yes the thank you for
that list that was the entire IMDB page
and been impressed you are a diagnosis
murder which is a show I watched
skeletons in the closet is that the plot
of the show or no it was Dick Van Dyke
there’s a detective doctor if I get a
chance to guest star on some classic
shows and work with some amazing actors
I do it I mean I absolutely love it I
did it with CSI I did with psych I did
it but all these shows I’m a fan of and
then you know there’s an opportunity to
work on it and I grab it so yes we’re
going down that Oh for sure working with
all of these like iconic actors that
you’ve worked with
has anyone ever kind of is there any
like behind the scenes story the where
they gave you a great piece of advice
that you’ve kind of taken with you
through your career yeah I mean it
happens every time I work you know I
worked with Tony Shalhoub and I remember
what heat I think he said eat less on
set II know it’s you know what happens
every time I work I it may not be a
piece of advice that someone actually
turns to me and gives me but I study all
these great actors that I work with I
just worked with Al Pacino and Barry
Levinson and
I did the I guess you’d call it the Joe
Paterno story about Penn State and it’s
gonna be on HBO I got to play Al
Pacino’s son in a movie go toe-to-toe
with Al Pacino it’s that’s like that’s
ridiculous I die stuff in my career I
know I’m supposed to be you don’t
suppose to be like hey you know this is
my life this is my career I’m an actor
for me it’s always amazing and so just
studying him as hopefully not studying
in in scenes but studying him Harrison
Ford Carrie Fisher made these people I
pull from everybody I work with and I’m
just so lucky to be doing what I’m doing
do you think you’ve ever been starstruck
by anybody like to the point where you
felt like ah this is unprofessional he
is an actor when I first walked it on
the Millennium Falcon my first you know
walked on the set of Star Wars you know
there with my best friend JJ and JJ
Abrams I have known each other since we
were four years old I mean he’s he’s my
brother
and so there was a really strong level
of being comfortable enough that I
ignored the rule of not bringing your
cell phone on set like even taping
everything I possibly can okay Pam right
and I get on set and and I have this
scene where I’m standing around and they
turned to me and they’re like snap did
some recons now what do you got out
there and I’m this is my moment you know
I have very few sort of big moments of
the movie big for me and it’s a small
role in force awakens but I’m so excited
to be there anyway I say my lines and
I’m looking around and there’s c-3po and
there’s you know han Solo and Princess
Leia it’s it’s crazy and after that take
JJ scottson comes over to me and he
whispers in my ear he’s like dude you’re
watching the movie yeah see done so I
kind of want to get your experience as a
Star Wars fan like paint us a picture of
the first time you saw the movie in the
theater the first thing they saw it just
like most people it absolutely blew my
mind because you have to remember I’m an
old guy so I saw it when I was 13 and it
was the you know I
it had just come out no one knew what it
was we saw commercials we saw things but
it was it was a you no pun intended a
whole new galaxy a whole new world
characters that you immediately relate
to it was it blew my mind and I’m not
gonna say that that’s the moment that I
said hey this is what I want to do for a
living because it wasn’t I’m much more
of a comedy guy and everything but I
immediately gravitated toward the movie
I couldn’t get enough of it and Kevin
Smith and I have talked about this how
it was the first time that you leave a
movie and you’re talking about the
characters lives as if they’re real
people and you’re exploring that and
you’re discussing you know what could be
and and what hasn’t been and what came
before it and how did this work other
things you know you don’t you might take
a life lesson from it it might move you
you might get emotional but this really
it changed the way I looked at movies I
got lost in this deeper then I got lost
in anything else Star Wars really
changed that for me and that’s what I
love to do as an actor I’d love to go to
work become someone else entertain other
people get an emotional response out of
other people but this is something
special this Star Trek I don’t know I
mean heroes was like that too because
that it was very relatable it was it was
a real world this this just opened up a
whole new world for me right being that
you’re so close with the JJ Abrams is
there anything that you’ve kind of you
know hey you should do it this way and
that you want to take credit for that
he’s done or no not that I want to take
credit for I that’s a whole other League
of creativity that I can’t a whole other
level that I can’t even get to the thing
that I that I’m fortunate enough first
of all he’s the greatest guy in the
world and then when we’re together he’ll
throw ideas at me just like any other
you know good friend would knowing that
I’m not gonna say anything and to hear
stuff you know it’s I’m of course the
selfish actor just thinking about
himself and only himself he says
something and I’m like yeah how does
snap Wexley plan you know maybe snap can
come rescue them out of that I mean in
the first movie or in my first
experience on that movie in that
franchise I got to London
I didn’t know really what I was gonna do
i I went in for a fitting here in LA and
then they were all in London the cast
was there I get there they’re having
dinner I went straight from the airport
to this restaurant and I walk in there’s
Larry Kasdan and there’s captain Kennedy
and JJ and a cast amazing cast and I’m
looking at everybody this is Chinese
restaurant I walk in was downstairs and
and Larry said Larry Kasdan does their
is their snap Lex Lee and that’s the
first who I was playing and I I didn’t
even care what he meant
snap Wexley sound like a human so I was
like well I don’t have to wear that much
makeup and what what is what does that
entail and then immediately you know
they started talking about it a little
bit and I was thrilled you know I
would’ve done craft service on this
movie but it was it was such a cool
thing and then while we were shooting I
was smart enough I think you know I’m up
in this on this in his x-wing I’m in my
x-wing and turns out it was everyone’s
x-wing because they’ve just put us put
them in it anyway we’re doing we’re on
the kit but we’re doing the thing I’ve
told the story before but it’s funny
they have a series of lines that you’re
supposed to read and it’s I got your
back you know you know on their left
button and then I nailed all these lines
set them all it’s added a bunch of stuff
that they’ll be using whatever and and
then they said okay here’s a series of
other ones we want you to say I’ve been
hit I’m going down this is the end and I
was like no you were showing us before
the show but this is something I’m
extremely envious of next to the being
and Star Wars thing obviously you have
an action figure
have you played what your own action
figure you guys yeah you guys need one
one there yeah this is one of my action
figures very cool PC is a reflection I
think yeah anyway yeah this is the snap
likes the action figure it comes with a
flame trooper up with a big a big hook
weapon and a bad guy and and then I’ve
got a pop toy I feel like I’m you know
this is it’s the holiday season
no no plug plug hilarious which is crazy
dude
Mekons I sign these I sign those and
then there’s a the other one the oval I
have a leg oh I want to be a muppet I’ve
had them I had I had an action figure
from heroes and they made an action
figure from alias and but nothing like
this I mean this is just the coolest
thing ever
are you like the coolest dad to your
kids your snap Wexley my my dad was very
cool when I was growing up he was my
heroes like business genius and
everything and I was like how do I
eclipse that how do I get the same level
of respect and when my kids friends oh
you know my kids don’t brag about that
stuff that’s something that I just I
love but when I’m driving and picking up
from a party or something and they all
get in the car and thanks to you and you
know what one friend says hey I saw you
you were in Star Wars and suddenly you
know it gets out everybody’s chattering
about it yeah it’s the coolest thing in
the world you kidding me hey there’s my
Lego oh sweet I so much jealous in a
parallel world where you grew up
maybe with a different filmmaker as your
childhood friend any creator in the
world that like you get to be in all of
their content and creations going
forward into their immensely successful
careers who would it be
it could male or female I have to say
very Levenson would be somebody that I
would absolutely have loved to have been
in everything that he’s ever done I was
talking about it on the set with him
that was one of those moments that I’m
like dude container he’s like oh yeah
yeah and we’re going on and on about all
these other movies that he’s done and
series he’s produced and a guy like that
is ridiculous you know but Spielberg I
mean Steven Spielberg you know get me
better obviously I’m stating the obvious
here but that’s the same that that level
of storytelling where not only are you
wrapped up in the stories and the
characters are more important than any
situation that he puts you in as a as a
you know a film doer an example there’s
Nino in Jaws when he went
the right side are saying that the
breakfast hit with his son and son is
copying what he’s doing at the breakfast
table I mean how can you not fall in
love with that character and and pull
for him and root for them not want him
to die and not you know care and want to
take that journey with him Snowbird does
that over and over and over again and
then at the same time gives you that
level of popcorn and and you know truly
the cinematic experience that you’re
looking for getting the lost in every
film that he does and creating a reality
in every situation whether it’s you know
on earth or you know something that’s
completely unreliable
unrealistic and shouldn’t be believable
but you’re wrapped up in it nobody does
it better than him so yeah I would say
Spielberg so tell us something about
your podcast and actor a comedian and a
musician walk into a bar what can we
expect from that it’s there’s three
episodes up now and we’re about to go
record the fourth episode it’s so much
fun I mean it’s just a it’s it’s two
guys that I absolutely love joining me
in a bar and we do it from a different
bar we’re gonna start doing it from a
different bar every time it’s like just
it’s and I don’t want to say it’s
barroom conversation because that’s that
tag has been given a you know a bad
quality but it’s well as long as you
guys don’t walk into a locker guest
every time Kirk Fox is a convenient that
is amazing and he brings a comedian to
the party
Nick MARSOC is a great musician and
nickel to a song and just have to check
it out it’s called an actor a comedian
and a musician walk into a bar the
longest podcast titled ever and
hopefully people enjoy it have you got
any other upcoming projects on the
horizon that you’re excited about I do
this just came out so if people are I
have a graphic novel that I wrote
co-wrote it’s called dream jumper and
book one did really really well and book
two is out now it’s it’s just this is
something I’m so proud of and if you
haven’t checked out dream jumper check
it out
paramount studios bought it as a film so
we’re developing that right now and the
way that came about it’s it what it is
is my 13 year old at the time he was 13
Ben
he had a terrible dream he woke up and I
was trying to put him back to sleep I
said won’t you tell me what that dream
is and you know what was it he’s like oh
it was so real I said what was it he
goes well it was like I was me in the
dream I said okay and he goes but but I
wasn’t in my dreams I said what’d he
mean he goes I was able to jump in and
out of my friends dreams like a
superhero and save them from their worst
nightmares
oh yes that was my reaction I was like
oh my god
don’t go to sleep I’m gonna get my
laptop I’m stealing this that’s a good
dad
and so I partnered with Lucas turn Blum
an amazing illustrator and and writer
and we co-wrote this together and he
Illustrated it and it’s just I’m so
proud of it
scholastic put it out so that’s
something that’s that’s just dropped as
they say and then I I wrapped a movie
with Lady gaga Bradley Cooper called a
star is born and that is that cuz
Bradley is an old friend of mine from
alias and and he showed it to me it is
so good I’m amazing I hide and I want to
build it up too much but it’s fantastic
I’m really happy that I have a tiny role
in that but it’s throughout the whole
movie it’s fun really fun and then you
know and then the Joe Paterno thing and
what else the podcast is really
something go to record a podcast today
and the interesting thing about this is
we have the cast of a movie that I’m
about to shoot the movie is called max
reload and the nether laster’s and if
you go in Kickstarter and look up max
reload in the nether blasters it’s a
it’s a game themed movie it’s about kid
who uncovers a game cartridge from a
ColecoVision game back in the 80s that
was supposed to be lost and he puts it
at any unleashes the evil in the real
world and then I’m the guy who created
the game and so along with these great
young actors we have to go on this
journey to stop you know this this force
that’s been unbelievable and it’s it’s
really cool this guy’s Scott and Jeremy
and Arizona are really great filmmakers
and they’re wrapped up in the game world
I love
I’ve done voices for games and stuff so
this was a no-brainer for me to jump on
I’m producing it as well but that’s that
shoots in January I’m excited well
before we go I just want to get your
opinion on our poll which is coolest
Star Wars character um without question
in my mind it’s Han Solo it’s Han that
character is so sort of nonchalant guy a
little cockier than he should be in over
his head
at times and somehow weasels his way and
and fights his way out I mean here’s the
portrait come on come on he’s pretty
cool who protector no I’m not I’m not
this Star Wars a file who can pull a
little character from the back of the
bar I really I’m just a huge fan of Han
Solo well I totally agree that’s what I
said
everyone kind of argued with me they
were like but there are other cool
characters and I said no there aren’t
it’s Han Solo end of list exactly thank
you so much for joining us thank you so
much you guys for watching see you next
time
yeah thank you may the force be with you
all check out these other great clips
from WatchMojo and subscribe for new
videos every day
Please follow and like us: